Moonlit Avalon
by ani
Summary: *Post-CoS* Tired of being on the move Ed, following Hohenheim's research, has taken them to England. If an attempt to get to one mythical land got Ed back to Amestris, maybe trying to reach a different one will get them home for good. Back home Winry's trying to accept that Ed and Al are gone, but one odd night reminds her just how stubborn those dumb brothers are. *possible EdWin*
1. Tin and Goldstone

**Standard Disclaimers and Multi-site Warnings Apply.**

* * *

The stars shown beautifully on the cloudless night but all she could do was stare at the hill with its charred tree. Sighing, she turned to the full moon glowing brightly above. "Why?" a single tear rolled down her cheek, "Why do I…"

A flash of light caught her eye, making her chuckle weakly. "My wish won't ever be granted," she watched as the star burned out. "They can't come back." she sighed again as she turned to go inside.

"Winry," the voice was soft and staticy but she'd recognize it anywhere. She froze, not even breathing as he added, "It is you. Dad was right." he chuckled.

"It works Brother. We can go home!" she gasped at the squeaky younger voice, spinning around at his words.

There they were. Ed was in blue jeans, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up, his automail shining just like the soft smile on his face. Al was trying to hold back his excitement, fists clenching his shirttails as his workpants started fading away. "Brother!"

"Al!" Winry hopped forward as Ed turned to him, huffing.

"Not yet Al." Ed put his right hand on Al's shoulder, smiling at him as he turned to Winry. "We're still in the experimental stages Winry. The Veil is too heavy for us to come home yet, we can't stay for long. Al and I can only do this on the full moon so watch out for us." Ed looked her in the eye while he pulled something from his shirt pocket. "Keep this with you Winry, it's our link back."

"Is this all a dream? You really found a way to come home." Winry whispered as she raised her hands to her lips.

Al smiled big, nodding emphatically as he faded away. Ed's smile wobbled as he held his hand out to her, "Wait for me, okay?"

"It's all I ever do, right?" Winry answered, nodding as the tears slid down her cheeks. "However long it takes Ed. I'll be here."

He blushed as he nodded back, fading away. Winry just stared in shock as his fist disappeared, their gift thumping on the balcony floor. Stepping closer, she was surprised to see a necklace lying there. Winry knelt beside it, pulling the chain up and let the pendant spin in front of her. She kind of smiled as she recognized the tin setting, laying the charm in her hand. Three petal-like stones formed a Y, the top two were each set with a brown stone flecked with gold, the stem was the same type but in blue instead of brown. The center where they overlapped was empty with a tin circle connecting the outer points. Winry stroked it once before sitting down, glaring up at the moon, "This better not be a dream."

* * *

Long wet swipes tickled her cheek as she slowly opened her eyes. "Den, stop it." Winry tried pushing the dog away as she sat up, freezing as something pressed into her left hand. She stared at it as last night came back to her, hope and disbelief fighting within her. "It's can't be…"

Pulling her hand away, the chain stayed pressed into her skin as the pendant dropped off it, flipping so the speckles danced in the sunshine. "Al," Winry picked in up, putting the long chain around her neck. "Edward," she tried to swallow back the tears as she tucked the pendant under her shirt. "Come home soon."

* * *

He smiled as he fell asleep.

* * *

**AN:** The necklace was loosely patterned of the Celtic Triquetra Knot: three arcs overlapping and connected to make three petals equilaterally, some times with a circle around it. Normally the stem as I put it, is at the top but I wanted it to symbolize the guys coming home - two points converging with the other. I was planning on a gemstone with Celtic symbolism too, but when I found that legends say goldstone was first produced by alchemists I ran with it. :D


	2. Circles

**AN:** all the usual late excuses aside, i had a little epiphany for this after i wrote 'Daddy's Girl' so it had to get re-plotted out. about 90% of the Post CoS fics are either Ed/Noa, AngstEd because they found Winry but it's not Winry, or they get back to Amestris. yeah i'm writing the third one but with an unheard of(?) twist that's definitely gonna be a challenge. ^-^

Standard Disclaimers and Multi-site Warnings Apply.

* * *

Ed came to a stop as the headlights shown blindingly off the boulder. Cutting the engine, he sighed as he looked out the window at the clouds gliding through the sky. Al reached over and squeezed his shoulder, smiling softly as Ed turned to him. Ed gave a quick nod before stepping out of the car. Al shook his head as Ed opened the back door. "Brother, I still think it's too soon for this."

Ed glared at him as he got out. "Come on Al, we don't have much time." he turned back toward the car, offering a hand to the old lady. All she did was smile and bat it away before getting out, shifting the bundle in her lap into her arms. "Are you sure it's going to work tonight? The clouds aren't gonna be a problem?" Ed asked, shutting the door behind her.

She smiled at him as she started around the car, towards the gap in the trees. "Yes Edward, it will be fine. Things may get fuzzy if a cloud comes by, but with the breeze moving them it should not affect the spell much. Now come," she nodded toward the path, "we have work to do."

"Yes ma'am." both boys nodded as they followed her down the well-worn path. The crickets crying and the rustling leaves didn't distract either one; Ed staring determinedly at the old woman's back as Al blindly rummaged through the small crate. An owl hooted when they got there and everything stopped, jolting them back to life. The brothers still couldn't believe that this circle of short bushes could hold such power. Just standing there it almost felt like they had their alchemy back.

"Well." the elderly woman called from their left, the only gap in the line.

Ed quickly shook his head to snap out of it, Al calling out to her. "We're coming Gran."

They stopped in front of her, Ed turning to Al and pulling things out of the box. Ed placed a small terracotta pot with a short candle on each side of the gap, igniting one of the twigs on the ground to light them. He cleared the packed dirt between the bushes, pushing the leaves and pebbles inside the circle. Still on his knees, Ed looked up and smiled, "Gran." the old woman nodded once as she stepped out of the circle, shifting the bundle in her arms. Gran and Al watched over each shoulder as Ed wrote 'Winry' in English, Alchemy runes then Amestrian(1) in a column into the circle. Pricking his thumb with his pocketknife, Ed smeared it across his palm before pressing it into the dirt between his knees. The rush of power rocked him backwards, making him chuckle as Al gasped behind him. A small plume of smoke rose up inside the circle as Ed stood, hobbling slightly before taking the blanket from the old woman.

[======]

Winry'd been a nervous wreck most of the day; constantly clutching the pendant, spending a good hour watching the moonrise and almost two hours after dinner in the bathroom. Now she was sitting on her bed in her usual pajamas, legs curled up to her chest as she stared out her open balcony door. A small bit of fog rolling across the balcony had Winry on her feet in seconds. She froze as it seemed to stop at the doorway, collecting and rolling up an invisible door. As it got to her waist it spread outward, glowing as it got taller and rounder. Almost filling the doorframe a blue and grey fuzz grew in the center, black flowing downward, the left side flickering as the blue solidified into a wide band on the right side of the grey. "Winry?" she smiled as Ed called her name.

Looking straight forward she could almost see his face in the fog. "Ed what's going on? Why are you so blurry this time?"

"It's partly cloudy on this side. We're gonna look blurry when the clouds are in front of the moon." on cue Ed's left side cleared out, showing why the black was flickering.

"ED! Don't tell me your broke my automail. I can't fix it from over here." Winry barely kept her voice down as she stepped closer.

Ed chuckled softly, shifting the forearm crutch closer into his left side. "No I didn't break my automail Winry. Do you remember I mentioned a war was beginning on this side when I was back that time?" he waited as she nodded. "It was stopped not long after Al and I got here. But there's more people that want things to change and are willing to fight to make it to happen. After the Great War every country started a draft program that anyone 18 or older has to join their armies if another war starts. Al's not old enough and after everything we've been through-"

Winry cut in. "Missing your leg keeps you together, keeps you out of the fighting."

Ed smiled halfheartedly. "Yeah, it's been hiding in our bags ever since we found out." he wobbled a bit. "After almost two years I've pretty much gotten used to this. Kinda hard to stand in this forest though."

Winry huffed softly as she remembered Ed's recovery so long ago. "Winry." she looked up at the soft tone in his voice. Ed took a deep breath, smiling halfheartedly as he slightly turned to his right. "I never should have asked you that last time."

"Ed, what are you talking about?" Winry stepped closer as she thought back. "I'll always be here Ed. However long it takes, I'll be waiting."

Shifting the crutch forward a bit more, Ed pushed it into the ground and braced his elbow on the cuff. Ed raised his head, looking Winry straight in the eyes. "Because I didn't." was bluntly stated just as the clouds moved away. She now had a clear view of Ed, the blue on his right side unmistakably a baby blanket, tucked against his arm. Winry just stared as Ed turned to the baby, gently pulling the blanket back. A small head of honey-gold hair was tucked into his shoulder, face nuzzled into his shirt.

She stumbled back a few steps, "What… Ed…"

"He'll be a year by the next moon." he turned away from Winry, the shock and hurt in her eyes, and rubbed his son's back.

"Where's-"

He sucked in a deep breath. "Dead. She died during childbirth."

"Brother." Al's concerned voice came out of nowhere.

The baby nuzzled a bit more before raising his head. Ed smiled softly at him before he turned to her. "Mama…" blue eyes gazed at each other.

Ed held his eyes closed as he stroked his hair. "Kinda Urey, kinda." Ed gently put his son's head back on his shoulder, rubbing his cheek across Urey's hair as he tucked the blanket back around him. Not raising his head, Ed looked at Winry.

Overwhelmed, she fell to her knees. "Ed?"

"I named him after his grandfather." he said softly as she looked at him.

"Edward," an elderly woman's voice cut in, wrinkled old hands grabbing his left elbow. "It is time to go."

He bit his lip and nodded, pulling the crutch out of the ground, teetering towards her as he found his balance again. Ed softly said "I'm sorry." as he took a step back, the fog dissipating away.

* * *

I had a mini-debate as to which limb to 'take away' from Ed. Either limb would make it (almost) impossible to fight in WWII, with the war itself it would make more sense for Ed to stop wearing the arm but because of Urey it would be easier to take the leg away. So considering the baby and how big the shoulder port is I figured the leg would be easier to live without.

(1) - I know Amestrian is just like English, but I needed something different to keep the 3 in the 'spell'. English for this world, Alchemy runes for both, and Amestrian for their world.


End file.
